1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a land grid array connector assembly having a fastening device for securing a central processing unit (CPU) therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional land grid array connector assembly 6, as shown in FIG. 8, commonly includes a fastening device 60 and a socket 61 received in the device 60. The fastening device 60 comprises a quadrate frame 63, a lever 62 and a metal clip 64 respectively mounted to opposite sides of the frame 63. The frame defines a pair of locating slots 66 at one side thereof and a pair of guiding grooves 65 at another opposite side thereof. Each guiding groove 65 has a first inner wall 651 and a second inner wall 652. The lever 62 has a pair of locating portions 623 pivotally positioned in locating slots 66 of the frame 63, a driving portion 621 defined between the locating portions 623, and a handling portion 622 bending vertically from one of the locating portions 623. The clip 64 has a pair of securing portion 641 movably received in the guiding grooves 65 of the frame 63 and a driving hook 644 defined at a free end thereof.
In use, the clip 64 is firstly set up perpendicular to the frame 63 with the securing portion 641 pressing close to the first inner walls 651 of the guiding grooves 65, a CPU 7, together with a copper plate 8 which functions as a heat dissipation device, is assembled on the socket 61. Then, the clip 64 is rotated to a parallel position and abuts against the copper plate 8. However, as can be seen from FIG. 9, during the rotation of the clip 64, the clip 64 may simultaneously move along the guiding grooves 65 towards the second inner wall 652 which leads to the driving hook 644 of the clip 64 extending beyond its correct position. As a result, when rotating the handling portion 622 of the lever 62, the driving portion 621 of the lever 62 cannot slide into the driving hook 644 of the clip 64 and drive it, which leads to the clip 64 can not reach its final pressing position. Thus, the clip 64 fails to locate the CPU 7 and the copper plate 8 securely.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a land grid array connector assembly having a fastening device for retaining a central processing unit (CPU) securely in the connector assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device for a land grid array socket to fasten a CPU in the land grid array socket.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, a land grid array connector assembly in accordance with the present invention includes a socket and a fastening device surrounding the socket. The fastening device comprises a frame having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, a lever pivotally mounted to the first side of the frame, and a metal clip movably mounted to the second side of the frame.
The frame includes a pair of locating slots defined at opposite ends of the first side and a pair of locating grooves defined at opposite ends of the second side, each locating groove has a horizontal portion and an arced portion connected with the horizontal portion. The lever has a pair of locating portions received in the locating slots, a driving portions defined between the locating portions, and a handling portion bending vertically from one of the locating portions. The clip has a pair of acting portions respectively received in the locating grooves and a driving hook defined at a free end thereof. The acting portions of the clip can only rotate in the arced portions of the locating grooves when the clip rotates from a vertical position to a horizontal position and can only slide in the horizontal portions of the locating grooves when the driving portion of the lever drives the driving hook of the clip.